1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a portable vacuum system and, more specifically, to a backpack mounted portable vacuum system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable vacuum systems, including backpack mounted vacuum systems, are known in the prior art. For example, Tacony, Inc., the assignee of the present invention presently markets a line of backpack vacuums under the Powr-Flite® brand, i.e., the PF600BP and PF1000BP models.
Backpack mounted vacuum systems are also discussed in the patent art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,371, to Soler et al., shows an early cyclonic back-pack vacuum cleaner featuring a wearer harness and associated upper and lower casing attached to the harness. A cyclonic cleaning assembly is contained within the upper casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,177, to Eriksen, shows another backpack vacuum cleaner having a housing with a compartment for a filter bag, a connection branch for a suction hose, a hip strap to be applied around the hips of the bearer and a pair of shoulder straps. The design is intended to only limit as little as possible the freedom of movement of the bearer with respect to the upper part of his body and arms when using the vacuum cleaner, and at the same time to provide a vacuum cleaner with a comparatively big filter bag. The hip strap is fastened to the lower part and the shoulder straps are mutually interconnected with an equalizing device for equalizing differences in tension between the two straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,300, to Rupp et al., shows another backpack mounted portable vacuum system having a motor portion and a filter portion. The motor portion is cylindrically shaped and has a first vertical axis. The filter portion is also cylindrically shaped and has a second vertical axis that is horizontally offset from the first vertical axis. The horizontal offset provides for a larger debris container and debris fluid path.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0086762, to Paris, shows a portable backpack vacuum cleaner, carried on the back of the operator, by the means of shoulder and belt straps. The vacuum hose through which dirt is collected is connected to the vacuum unit at the bottom of the unit, supposedly providing for superior motor performance.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0174992 to Murray et al., shows a light-weight, quiet vacuum cleaner assembly for a backpack vacuum cleaner which includes an air inlet for communicating with a vacuum cleaner hose and a filter; a vacuum motor for drawing air through the vacuum cleaner hose, air inlet, and filter; and a quiet exhaust assembly module in communication with the vacuum motor for expelling and quieting exhaust from the vacuum motor.
From the above discussion, it can be seen that the manufacturers of existing lines of backpack vacuums have attempted to introduce various comfort features for increasing the comfort of the wearer of the backpack vacuum unit. These efforts include such things as the harness arrangements, the alignment of the weight bearing components and the addition of noise reducing features, for example. However, one feature that has not, to Applicant's knowledge, been addressed in the prior art is that fact that backpack vacuum units tend to heat up the back region of the wearer in use. This is generally due to the heat which is generated by the vacuum motor in the backpack unit. While the various known harness designs may include features to space the backpack unit from the wearer's back, they have not previously incorporated air flow features intended to provide a cooling or “air conditioning” effect for the back of the wearer.
Thus, despite the improvements which have been made in the relevant arts, a need continues to exist for further improvements which would increase the comfort of the backpack style vacuum wearer in use.